B.C. Treat Count back with a vengeance in 2022 as homes hand out thousands of treats

Vancouver's Douglas Park neighbourhood once again crushed CBC British Columbia's annual Halloween treat count.

The neighbourhood, located at West 22nd Avenue and Heather Street near Cambie Village, was even busier this year, with one home handing out treats to a whopping 2,197 trick-or-treaters, according to an online survey. 

The results were collected by CBC British Columbia and the City Program at Simon Fraser University, which promotes citizen participation in civic issues and which have been teaming up since 2017 to help track the neighbourhoods with the most visitors on Halloween night.

As of Tuesday morning, nearly 600 British Columbians had recorded the number of costumed candy collectors who had visited their homes on Halloween.

According to Andy Yan, director of the City Program, trick-or-treaters came back with a "vengeance" for the sixth annual count this year.

"I do my own little patrol of Hastings Sunrise, and this year, it was just a new intensity," Yan told CBC News.

"I think there was a certain vibrancy of, hopefully, the worst of the pandemic is behind us, and we can look a bit forward. It was kind of a celebration."

He said there was a sense of joy and excitement from families and businesses, who handed out more than 1,000 mini chocolate bars and skittles.

Another record in Douglas Park

Douglas Park has been the dominant neighbourhood ever since the treat count began. In 2017, 1,200 visitors were recorded at one home. Things slowed down in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, but this year new records were set, with 2,197 trick-or-treaters at one home and two others recording in excess of 2,000 visitors.

According to responses from homes located around the park, one home handed out about 1,800 regular snack-sized candies.

Some homes along Third Avenue near Queen's Park in New Westminster gave out soda pops after running out of chocolate bars.

"This is the first Halloween where we didn't need a candy chute ... and we could actually hand candy out and feel rather comfortable with it," said Yan.

"So there was a certain joy in trick or treating."

Yan says Trinity Street in East Vancouver was also "really, really, really busy," but so was Vancouver Island — specifically Parksville.

A home on Sandlewood Drive reported handing out 950 chips and chocolate, while another home at Alberni Highway and Despard Avenue gave out more than 800 small chocolate bars.

Inflation didn't affect Halloween spirit

This year's treat count form included a question about inflation, but Yan said more than half of the submissions reported that inflation did not affect their Halloween festivities.

"It looks like out of 571 responses to the inflation question, about 450 said there was no effect. It sounds like people are committed to Halloween, and despite whatever inflation they face, it has not affected their Halloween spirit."

He said one home in Prince George did report reducing the number of candies and replacing them with Halloween erasers and glow sticks to save money.